what grip works best for you?

[gjw77]

I'm fairly new to trad shooting having started about this time last year.I've read that a loose grip is good as it doesn't cause bow torque.And I've read a tight grip is good.I've tried both and the tight grip seems to work better for me.It helps me keep everything on my bow arm locked up(elbow,wrist).Any opinions?
  What do y'all use?
btw,when I was shooting wheelies(with a bow sling)the loose grip worked best.

[SOS]

Are you shooting a longbow or recurve?  I shoot a longbow with a tighter grip - firm but not a death grip - seems to help with any handshock.  Might go a little lighter on a high wrist recurve.  One thing to avoid that a very good archer taught me is that even with a sling, a lot of folks will shoot with a loose grip but will, in actuality, "grab" at the riser at the shot.  He recommended that even with a sling, a complete but light grip would work best for most folks.

[Greywolfy/U.P. of Mi]

I remember reading about Ishi and his shooting style.  His grip was loose enough to alow the bow to swing away after the shot.

Mine's not that loose but I try to avoid a 'death grip' on it.

[gjw77]

When I say firm I really don,t mean that I try to squeeze blood from it,lol.I guess I would describe it like I was holding a bird or something light enough I don't squeeze it to death but firm enough it doesn't get away either.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

Well after fighting High Lefts for the last few years, I read somewhere on here about grabbing the bow when using a loose grip. Checked myself and that is exactly what I had been doing. Loose grip and grab the bow at the shot.. Last night and today I have been using what I will call the "Folkrod" grip because Bob was the one I remember talking about it on his show.
That is not a tight or firm grip, rather a loose grip with the fingertips bearing on the back of the bow.
I have been hammering the 5 ring all day and am starting to be tough on nocks at 20 yards.
Don't know if it is fixed, but it is the most sun I have seen for some time. Thanks TG thanks Bob.

[jhansen]

I use a fairly loose grip even on a longbow.  My current bow, a Great Northern Bushbow, has a grip small enough that I can almost make a circle of my thumb and index finger around it.  I do this and then let the rest of my fingers just curl around the bow.  This technique seems to pretty much eliminate torqueing.

John

[snag]

I use the same type of grip as you John. I had a recurve built for my hand size. The bowyer makes his grips so you can reach around with the index finger and touch the thumb. He showed me how he likes to grip the bow and it made sense. I adopted it and have improved my shooting because of it.

[R H Clark]

I shoot my Dalaa with nothing but index touching thumd.Just enough to keep the bow from jumping form my hand.

[ksbowman]

I used to shoot with my index finger touching my thumb and a loose grip until I cut my thumb off.Doesn't work to well now!  Ben

[jhansen]

OUCH!

[bowmofo]

I shoot a hill and get a good grip on it, seems to work for me . MIKE